Team Herald
MARGAO: In a swift action, the police arrested the trio involved in the alleged robbery and sexual assault case on a couple reported at an isolated place along the Sunset Beach at Betalbatim on May 24 at around 9:15 pm.
It may be recalled that a young Goan couple, who had visited the Sunset Beach on May 24, were accosted by three persons who demanded money and brandished knives to frighten them.
The youth handed over Rs 200, but the assailants were not satisfied and started assaulting him causing minor injuries, police said. As the girl tried to intervene they forced the couple to a lonely place where all three reportedly raped the girl. Initially, they asked the couple to strip and recorded that act following which the girl was raped, police said.
IGP Jaspal Singh disclosed that the three arrested include 34-year-old Ishwar Makhawana, 23-year-old Sanjeev Pal and 19-year-old Ram Bhariya. Incidentally, Ishwar works as a labourer, Ram Bhariya is a student and Sanjeev Pal is a teacher and all were known to each other as they all reside in Indore suburbs.
Ishwar was arrested near the flyover at the old railway gate while Ram was nabbed at the KTC bus stand at Margao. Sanjeev was caught at the Karmali Railway station.
The three had arrived in Goa on May 23 and were staying together. Incidentally, Ram has a theft case registered against him in Indore while Ishwar has an excise case registered against him along with a theft. He was also booked for kidnapping and rape but subsequently married the girl he was accused of having kidnapped, said police sources.
While Ram had arrived in Goa for the first time, this was the second time Ishwar had visited the State while Sanjeev has reportedly been to Goa many times in the past. Incidentally, they had stolen a koita from a fisherman’s hut to frighten people and rob them. The police said they have recovered the weapon.
IGP Jaspal said all the details of the three accused would be revealed later. While two of the assailants were arrested on Friday night, the third was nabbed on Saturday morning and the apparent greed to collect more money led to their arrest.
The assailants apparently were blackmailing the youth by threatening to release a video they had prepared of the couple being stripped and initially demanded Rs one lakh to stop releasing the video but later came down to Rs 10,000, police said.
Using this, the assailants were called at a particular place with the video where the youth said he would come with the money and that is how the first person was nabbed. Police recovered the video from Ishwar when he was arrested on Saturday afternoon and is now part of the evidence in the case, said police sources.
IGP Jaspal said it was a serious and heinous crime and that was the reason why he had come to South Goa.
IGP Jaspal Singh disclosed that the medical report confirmed that the girl was subjected to sex under duress as there were injuries on her private parts, which would not have been there if it was consensual sex.
“Besides, the accused have also admitted to having committed the crime,” he said.
Superintendent of Police Arvind Gawas explained that the victim was traumatised to relate the incident on Friday and hence they were not very clear and confirmed the rape only after the medical report was obtained late Friday night.
IGP Singh said, “Any crime against women is a serious crime and we have to compliment the police force for the excellent work in arresting the culprits,” he said.
